What is Origami?

General

Origami first originated in Japan thousands of years ago. It’s made its way globally through the introduction of paper and has become a worldwide art style ever since. Origami is the art of folding paper to create either 3D or 2D animals, shapes, symbols, people, and more. It comes in many styles from being plain and simple to being beautiful and complex. Origami can be preformed with any paper and size so you don’t have to worry about spending any money on origami paper at your local craft store (although it is recommended!). Origami pieces may also come in any shape or size so you can determine how much paper you’ll need for your desired origami piece.

History

Origami comes from the Japanese words, “Ori” meaning folding and “Kami” meaning paper. It’s theorized that Origami may have Chinese influence from the 1st to 2nd century AD as well but mainly became highly popular in Japan around the 17th century. Papermaking had spread to Japan where origami became culturally significant nationwide. It was preformed as an act of entertainment and a part of ceremonial ritual incorporated into many Japanese traditions. Today, origami remains as a cultural treasure to be shared by anyone and inspire creativity.

What can I create?

Origami is a very broad art topic. You can use origami to create 2D or 3D figures. An example of this is an origami bird. There are MANY types of origami birds you can make depending on the species, 2D or 3D, or style. Origami isn’t exclusive to animals as well, you can make everyday items such as hats, boats, boxes, envelopes, cups and more which may actually be used. You can also create shapes including hearts, cubes, stars, or any other geometrical figure. Another idea of origami that can be made is flowers such as lilies, roses, lotuses, camellias, and a bunch more.